New Year, New Fashion

A new year has begun and that means its less than six weeks till Fashion Week for the 2020 season begins! New York Fashion Week launches the season beginning February 6, 2020 and runs through February 13, 2020. Fall styles will be on display as designers explore the year’s trends and create new ones. Venues vary, since venue has become just as important as the clothes featured. Several studios around the city including Spring Studios (https://www.springstudios.com/) and Pier 59 Studios (https://www.pier59studios.com/nyfw) will host shows but designers have been finding more and more unique locations to play host to their collections. See: Marc Jacobs in an abandoned subway or Zendaya X Tommy Hilfiger in Harlem at the Apollo (https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/nyfw-spring-2020-biggest-moments-tommy-zendaya-marc-jacobs-rihanna-1203279593/ )

Fashion has four seasons: spring/summer, fall/winter, resort, and pre fall. The original seasons of spring/summer and fall/winter date to the early 1900s’ fashion parades. The preseasons were introduced much later as an opportunity to display transitional pieces and reinvent more avant- garde looks in a more wearable way. Of course the addition of the transitional seasons opens the door for experimentation and heightened creativity. A perfect example of this would be Jeremy Scott for Moschino. Scott recently presented his Prefall collection in the Brooklyn Transportation Museum, transforming vintage subway cars into a runway. The line was an oversized lesson in extravagance. Celebrating the street culture of New York during his days at school, the line was bright and vibrant, evoking a feeling of street art. Interestingly, his previous spring collection read as a journey through a modern art museum. Both lines are remarkably wearable though Prefall feels more personal, a feat made easier by a transitional season.

So what can we expect from the coming collections? First and foremost, color. There are so many ways designers can use color to set mood and tone for a look. Pantone has named as the color of 2020 a classic blue, so look for classic pieces in this hue. Comfort is another feeling designers will be exploring this year so notice more comfortable fabrics in calming neutrals. Leather in a rainbow of colors will continue as the year progresses. Lest we not forget neon. It has made a steady comeback and is not showing any signs of slowing. Look for neon to couple with more futuristic looks (think Xenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Thank you Disney+ for reviving that gem. I digress…)

Another trend will be retro. Though the idea of the roaring twenties is being embraced now, 70s and 80s is what we’ve been seeing early on. See Harry Styles for confirmation. And while Marc Jacobs gave us a brilliant grunge reduxlast year, 2020 will take on more goth styling. Lots of black mixed with bold prints and hardware. Think Louboutin’s King St. boot or Prada’s Black Pocket Military Boot.

Finally, we will be looking for denim legs to grow. We’ve seen a wide leg and boyfriend or girlfriend cut (the difference between bf and gf cut: fitted at hips and seat with relaxed cut through legs vs. tighter and higher on hip with a tapered slim straight leg. And to throw in Mom jeans: high waist, baggy around zipper, baggy leg) but we are going to start seeing extreme relaxed fits make a name for themselves. Urban Outfitters is bringing back the skate jeans (https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/bdg-denim-high-rise-skate-jean) It’s no quite JNCO’s but we would never rule out a full blown comeback.

What trends have you been seeing? Let me know!

Happy styling!!